Who invented the skip wagon,and who had the first and where,info and pics please. 
Dunno who invented them, but when I was a kid - back sometime before the year dot - I remember I had a Dinky model of a LAD cab Leyland with a Marrell Multi-Bucket skip unit on the back.
Any help?
Steve
ALTHOUGH skips have been used in the mining industry for a long time, the first use of a skip-like container removed by a lorry for rubbish disposal was probably in Southport in 1922. It came about as a result of Edwin Walker, of the lorry manufacturer, Pagefield, meeting Southport’s borough engineer.
Got this from tinternet.
Regards. John.
old 67:
ALTHOUGH skips have been used in the mining industry for a long time, the first use of a skip-like container removed by a lorry for rubbish disposal was probably in Southport in 1922. It came about as a result of Edwin Walker, of the lorry manufacturer, Pagefield, meeting Southport’s borough engineer.
Got this from tinternet.
Regards. John.
Like this perhaps old 67, a 1922 Pagefield with demountable boxes.
Oily
Knew we could rely on you for " photographic evidence ". Good one… 
Regards. John.
I know I have seen pics of Skip Wagons as we recognise them today in my old copies of Commercial Motor from the Sixties which I believe would have been the period they became popular in the UK but not sure who would have been the first to use them, I’ll see if i can dig out the mags for any clues. Cheers Franky.
Found the info, Toussant & Hess of Dusseldorf Germany supplied two demountable-skip equipments to Merriworth Engineering, Kent and fitted to Commer 7 Ton short wheelbase chassis. The TEHA skip equipped vehicles were used by Tidiways of Coventry under contract to Coventry Corporation for the removal of refuse and rubble from sites, the skips were able to load 10 cu yds of material for disposal and are believed to be the first application of this kind to be used in the UK and it was envisaged that varied use could be made of these types of vehicles in the future (top of the class for that remark eh). This was from the July 1964 edition of the Comm Motor if you want to read the full article and see the pic it can be found in the Comm Motor Archive section. So there you have it Tidiways of Coventry was the first to use skip wagons in the UK in 1964. Cheers Franky.
E & F Beattie, coal merchants, had a fleet of skip wagons in the earlyish 60s. Made up of Commers and Bedford TKs. They even managed to put a Commer cab onto one of the TKs.
Ray
Ste46:
Dunno who invented them, but when I was a kid - back sometime before the year dot - I remember I had a Dinky model of a LAD cab Leyland with a Marrell Multi-Bucket skip unit on the back.Any help?
Steve
Having done a bit of research, this model was made by Dinky from 1960 to 1964, so the original on which it was modelled must pre-date the ones detailed above?
Picture of model enclosed.
I’ve been trying to trace the invention of the lorry skip and from what I can gather, it originated in France, manufacturer see here microsofttranslator.com/BV.a … stoire.php
The Germans were the first to make extensive use of the idea through a Marrel subsidiary in Germany, it was introduced. early 1960s to UK under patent license by George Cross & Co. some examples of early UK skip lorries here
classicrefusetrucks.com/albums/S2/S2.html
Dempster in the States were also early innovators classicrefusetrucks.com/albums/DE/DE05.html
There’s a whole lot of info and pics here, click photo albums on left side menu then scroll down.
classicrefusetrucks.com/
Oily
oiltreader:
Dempster in the States were also early innovators classicrefusetrucks.com/albums/DE/DE05.html
That’s interesting.It seems to show that the Americans were first with the Multilift idea.Which I used on the council and which then went on to the hook loader.It was better than the typical over head bar and hanging chains idea in being able to provide the flexibility of numerous types of demount bodies in our case ranging from flat,bulk refuse and tanker.Having said that the American hydraulic body loading system idea seems to be far superior to the cable winch type system which could be a nightmare when the cable often jumped its guide support brackets on the bodies.
A bit more info on Marrel:
Company Overview
Marrel SAS designs, manufactures, and assembles industrial vehicle mounted equipment. Its products include hook lifts, tippers, cranes, skip loaders, hydraulic cylinders, and tipper scissors. The company also provides spare parts and used equipment. Its products are supplied in France and internationally through a network of distributors and dealers. Marrel was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Andrezieux Boutheon, France with factories and subsidiaries in France and internationally.
Can’t find exactly when they started on skips etc, but I would think it’s apretty fair bet that they were one of the first.
Steve
An edition of Classic and Vintage commercials credited Richard Biffa as the man who invented the modern skip as we know it.
I would take care with our modern ‘Classic Commercial Mags’ regarding correct info, they have a history of getting facts incorrect and someone who knows the right facts usually writes in to inform them of the mistake, I would think a report written at the time would be much more feasible as being correct, taking stuff as gospel from the Internet can also lead onto the wrong track and should always be backed up with further research, it seems there are a few takers for this title so it may run for a while yet!
flishflunk:
E & F Beattie, coal merchants, had a fleet of skip wagons in the earlyish 60s. Made up of Commers and Bedford TKs. They even managed to put a Commer cab onto one of the TKs.Ray
Didn’t Powell Duffryn have something to do with Beattie’s Ray and was’nt it PD who built the skip wagons for them.
Stanfield:
flishflunk:
E & F Beattie, coal merchants, had a fleet of skip wagons in the earlyish 60s. Made up of Commers and Bedford TKs. They even managed to put a Commer cab onto one of the TKs.Ray
Didn’t Powell Duffryn have something to do with Beattie’s Ray and wasn’t it PD who built the skip wagons for them.
Hiya John, you’re quite right about Beatties and PD fuels and I think you are also right about the skip wagons. Powell Duffryn Engineering was a part of the PD group.
Ray
In the sixties, Shepherds of Rymer point near Thetford were a big player. Later I believe, taken over by Powell Duffryn. Whether they were first in the UK, I doubt. Certainly demountable bodies, as opposed to the traditional skip wagon have been around since lorries took to the road. Jim.
jmc jnr:
In the sixties, Shepherds of Rymer point near Thetford were a big player. Later I believe, taken over by Powell Duffryn. Whether they were first in the UK, I doubt. Certainly demountable bodies, as opposed to the traditional skip wagon have been around since lorries took to the road. Jim.
Was there a manufacturer called Sheperd Mieler ?
pete smith:
jmc jnr:
In the sixties, Shepherds of Rymer point near Thetford were a big player. Later I believe, taken over by Powell Duffryn. Whether they were first in the UK, I doubt. Certainly demountable bodies, as opposed to the traditional skip wagon have been around since lorries took to the road. Jim.Was there a manufacturer called Sheperd Mieler ?
Sheppards manufactured the German Meiller skip loaders under licence in the UK and they wree sold as Sheppard Meiller skip loaders.They were popular with Hales Containers,one of the larger skip operators.
Ste46:
A bit more info on Marrel:Company Overview
Marrel SAS designs, manufactures, and assembles industrial vehicle mounted equipment. Its products include hook lifts, tippers, cranes, skip loaders, hydraulic cylinders, and tipper scissors. The company also provides spare parts and used equipment. Its products are supplied in France and internationally through a network of distributors and dealers. Marrel was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Andrezieux Boutheon, France with factories and subsidiaries in France and internationally.Can’t find exactly when they started on skips etc, but I would think it’s apretty fair bet that they were one of the first.
Steve
Here’s an early Bennes Marrel skip loader on a Austin/Morris FFK chassis
